We are an independent, non-partisan organization devoted to the formation of all Catholics, and others of good will, for full civic participation in accordance with the social teachings of the Catholic Church. We want to bring Gospel values to the center of public discourse.

As Catholics, we believe our vote is an act of moral vision—a gift to our community. We must discern our votes prayerfully and thoughtfully, through the lens of Catholic social teaching. Not sure where to start? Try comparing the parties’ platforms here.

Through its social teachings, the Church has provided guidance for the building of just societies in a very wide variety of forms. Forms of governance, economic structures, international relations, and mechanisms for empowering each individual to have a voice and to seek truth in their own way are all addressed, so that whatever the global and contemporary context, we are not left to grope or wander in the dark.

The 2019 Federal Election will take place on or before October 21st. We are working to get Catholic voters to the polls, and to ensure they’re prepared when they get there. Look here for the ways we can help, and to volunteer!

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Conscience Conversations

Matt: Brendan, in one of our recent Facebook postings, you posed an important question relating to that most elusive of all Catholic social teachings, the principle of “subsidiarity”— which the official Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church describes

Brendan: “How many saints have we never heard of?” I remember reading that once, Matt, and I’ve been thinking about it lately as we’ve watched the extraordinary heroism of everyday love which has emerged globally with the COVID-19 pandemic. This

At Catholic Conscience we like to speak in terms of the principles, values, and virtues of Catholic social thought, since they tend to consist of broad, positive, general exhortations to seek and do good. The Church has also stressed, however,

Brendan: I’m writing this on March 28th. I feel the need to say that to contextualize this Conscience Conversation—every day it seems like the COVID-19 crisis is evolving in rapid, new, and terrifying ways. For a reader perusing this at a

Happy and Blessed New Year! To all who have accompanied us on this year’s journey, we write today in heartfelt thanks for an overwhelming 2019. Really, the input you provided and the success it enabled were beyond reasonable expectation. Thanks

Brendan: There’s so much to deconstruct about Canada’s recent federal election, but from a Catholic perspective there’s a big question that has emerged in my mind and I want to pose it to you: Is Canadian politics suspicious of Catholics?

News Feed

A call to Catholic Action: Speak out against assisted suicide

The archdiocese of Toronto has called for action in response to the government of Canada's request for input on the expansion of Socially-Assisted Suicide (SAD) in Canada. The teachings of the Church are clear that human life is sacred from conception to natural death. It's important that Catholics and others who have a concern for the complete dedication of our lives to our Creator speak up.

According to a Quebec court, the current statutory limits to SAD are too restrictive, and the government must make the process more broadly available or the law will be struck down - at least in Quebec. In addition to the threshold question how certain a recipient’s natural death might be in order to qualify or assistance, the government is also seeking guidance for other ways of expanding availability, including:

• So-called "mature minors" — people under age 18 considered by doctors to be capable of directing their own care.
• Cases involving "advanced requests" — where a patient stipulates they would like their life to end at a later time when they are no longer competent to give consent.
• And people who wish to end their lives solely because of mental illness.

The teachings of the Church are clear: human life is sacred, from conception to natural death. “First in the list of human rights acknowledged by the Church is the right to life, from conception to its natural end, which is the condition for the exercise of all other rights and, in particular, implies the illicitness of every form of procured abortion and of euthanasia.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Sect. 155).

Moreover, the 5th Commandment, “Thou shall not kill” should also be borne in mind. If our purpose in life is to find our way back to God, using all of the gifts God has entrusted to us, then it behooves us to make use of every moment we are granted for that purpose, and not to either give up ourselves or to deprive others of the opportunity.

And as Christ explained to us in Chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew, we will be judged as nations on how we cared for those on the margins. We as individuals, are responsible for the actions of our nation.

It’s time to consider the Gospels and the Commandments, to reflect on the dignity and meaning of life, and speak out to help the Government make wise choices, for the good of people.

Let us pray:

Mother of the most gentle Shepherd, help us, as individuals and as a great nation, to consider the value of God-granted life and the gifts each of us has to share, from the time we are conceived until God calls us home naturally, in order to help us on our journey back to God. Help us to care for one another lovingly along the entire way, and to learn to bear the pain of loss and illness in a spirit of sacrifice for those less fortunate than we.